IS SALUSIN-ALPHA A NEW MARKER OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK IN HYPOTHYROIDISM?

The effect of salt supplements on thyroid hormones and quality of pregnancy in female hypothyroid rats

Background

The use of nutrient supplements along with medication to optimize the treatment of diseases yields desirable outcomes. Hypothyroidism causes abnormalities in cells, and organs, and induces gene expression changes. The use of salt supplements and vitamins considerably helps to treat hypothyroidism.

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of a food supplement containing iron, iodine, and folic acid on thyroid hormones changes as well as the quality and quantity of hypothyroid female rat's offspring.

Materials and Methods

In the current experimental study, 40 female rats were divided into six experimental and two control groups. The study was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, the role of a combinatory supplement along with levothyroxine to treat hypothyroidism by assessing T3, T4, and TSH hormones was investigated. In the second phase, the dose-depended effects of a combinatory supplement were investigated. Additionally, in the third phase, the quality and quantity of the next generation were measured in the hypothyroid female rats receiving the salt supplement.

Results

The plasma level of T3, T4 and TSH in hypothyroid rats receiving nutrient supplements indicated that the use of combinatory supplements along with levothyroxine could have desirable effects on the treatment of hypothyroidism to such an extent that the level of T3 and T4 hormones in the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P≤0.01). The second phase demonstrated that the desired effects of combinatory supplements on the serum levels of T3, T4, and TSH hormones were dose-dependent so that by increasing the dosage of supplementation, a significant decrease in the TSH level was observed (P <0.05), while T3 and T4 levels increased (P <0.01).The results of the third phase demonstrated that salt supplements could be effective in reducing the number of dead or preterm pups, and the use of mineral salts along with levothyroxine could promote a healthy birth.

Conclusion

Salt supplements have considerable effects on the health status of the offspring of hypothyroid rats, resulting in the birth of more healthy pups and reducing the rate of abortion or preterm births.

HYPOTHYROIDISM INCREASES EXPRESSION OF STERILE INFLAMMATION PROTEINS IN RAT HEART TISSUE

Purpose

In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between hypothyroidism and sterile inflammation in rat heart tissue.

Methods

Groups; control group (fed with standard rat chow diet and tab water) and the hypothyroid group (fed with a standard rat chow diet and tap water containing 0.05% 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil for 6-weeks). At the end of the experiment, histopathologic examination was performed. The T3, T4, TSH and myocardial malondialdehyde (MDA) measurements were performed with an ELISA kit. TUNEL assay was performed to demonstrate apoptosis. Sterile inflammation markers, caspase-1 and NLRP3, were investigated by immunohistochemistry and western blot.

Results

In histopathological examination, we observed leukocyte infiltration, myocardial atrophy, pyknotic nucleated cells and cytoplasmic vacuolization in hypothyroid group whereas the control group showed normal structure. MDA levels in myocardial tissue were significantly high in hypothyroid group when compared to the control group (P<0.05). Myocardial apoptosis increased in hypothyroid group when compared to the control group. NLRP3 and caspase-1 immunoreactivity was higher in the hypothyroid group. In ELISA results, we found significantly higher level of TSH and lower levels of T3 and T4 in hypothyroid group when compared to the control group.

Conclusion

Hypothyroidism increased oxidative stress, and caused inflammatory alterations in cardiac tissue. In addition, our study also suggested that thyroid hormone deficiency would increase the amounts of cardiac NLRP3 and caspase-1 protein, which indicates that hypothyroidism exerts its destructive effects through sterile inflammation. Elucidation of sterile inflammation-associated pathways may produce promising results in the treatment of hypothyroidism-induced cardiac damage.